1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tools for repairing bumpers and other sheet metal automobile body parts such as fenders. More particularly, this invention relates to a hook bar tool that is manually operable for repairing bumpers, sheet metal structures and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
It has traditionally been common practice to repair damaged automobile bumpers by hammering them into a shape that approximates their original shape as much as possible. This technique is tiresome and time consuming, and the results are typically unsatisfactory, especially with bumpers of recent design that have complex curvatures.
A more recent technique is to use a press, usually hydraulically powered, in which the bumper to be repaired is pressed between a moving portion, referred to as and resembling a blade, and a fixed portion, called the plate, cross bars or anvil. The blade is attached to the moving shaft of the press, and is caused to repeatedly approach the anvil and squeeze dents and distortions from the bumper while the position of the bumper on the anvil is repeatedly readjusted. Those of ordinary skill in the art shall realize that this method is, of course, simply a power-driven improvement over the manual hammering approach, and suffers from similar disadvantages, especially in that the resulting repaired bumper is typically not at all like a new one because the curves cannot be smoothly restored by the "blade press" technique.
It is well recognized that the most desirable bumper repair tools may include dies somewhat like those originally used to produce the bumpers. However, these production dies are designed and constructed to form a bumper from a substantially flat metal sheet. Accordingly, they are made of steel and formed by the use of expensive precision tools and die-making techniques. Moreover, it should be realized that such repair work is not cost-effective for a bumper repair shop that needs to service a large number of damaged bumpers at an affordable price.
Also, it is necessary for a bumper repair shop to maintain the ability to repair bumpers for nearly any model of automobile for at least a few model years. Quite clearly, it would be prohibitively expensive for a bumper shop to obtain and stock dies of that type set forth above for each bumper style to be repaired.
Although not quite as effective as the precision dies, certain hand tools have been developed in the past for the purpose of providing cost-effective automotive body repair. These hand tools operate by bending sheet metal edges. While certainly economical and easy to use, these commonly used hand tools are prone to cause unwanted denting and scratching of metal surfaces. Nor are they usable with a variety of bumper styles, ranging from those on light trucks to bumpers on passenger cars.
It should be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the traditional bumper repair tools described above are not very effective or useful in some situations. For example, where a bumper is grossly bent or deformed, it may be necessary to pull the bumper into a shape that approximates the original design shape. Also, in some accidents, it is possible for an automobile bumper to be pushed up against or tilted away from the vehicle such that it requires a straightening or realigning of the bumper part by exerting sufficient linear or angular force. Moreover, it may be required in some circumstances that such bumper repair be accomplished by a single individual. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the bumper repair tool to be adjustable or re-adjustable so that repairmen of different size and strength can exert sufficient force in the proper direction for effectuating the bumper repair. In these instances, the use of traditional tools is typically neither cost-effective nor appropriate.
Based upon the foregoing discussion, it should be readily appreciated that there exists an acute need for a bumper repair tool that overcomes the deficiencies and shortcomings of the existing solutions described hereinabove by providing a simple, easy to use tool that is operable preferably by an individual user without involving any power-driven machinery. Further, it is preferably required that such tool system be cost-effective to manufacture and economical to use for bumper straightening, pulling, pushing or realigning. The present invention provides such an advantageous solution.